Rep. Allen West Slams Obama on Same Sex-Marriage Stance While He Ignores Black Community

REP. ALLEN WEST SLAMS OBAMA: I don’t agree with Rep. Allen West (R-FL) on anything but I do agree that President Obama has largely ignored the plight of the black community, in much the same way as the Republicans. West slams Obama in a letter to his constituents for his stance on gay marriage, saying his endorsement was “politically motivated” and characterizing it as the “latest absurdity.” Um, that was my position the moment Vice President Joe Biden uttered his support on “Meet the Press” and then Education Secretary Arne Duncan followed suit. Sorry, but I believe they were setting the stage for President Obama to deflect from the real issues facing most Americans to dealing with gay marriage.

The issue on the top of my mind as I write this, is the position reversal of President Barack Obama on gay marriage. There is no doubt in my mind that this was a political move by the President because it bodes well for him to shift the conversation away from the economy. It worked. In the last 72-hour news cycle we have heard very little about debt, deficit, failed stimulus, horrific healthcare law, or Dodd-Frank banking regulations. When economic policies are failing, the issues are deflected to those topics that separate us as Americans: socioeconomic, gender, racial, and now sexuality.

America does not agree with the President on this issue. This is evidenced by the fact that 41 states have laws defining marriage as between one man and one woman. North Carolina, just last week, passed a ballot initiative affirming marriage between one man and one woman, with an overwhelming 69 percent. Even the African-American community, which tends to overhwhelmingly support the President on most issues, is not in support of his comments on gay marriage. In 2008, when droves of first-time African-American voters came to the polls, two gay marriage initiatives were on the ballot in both California and Florida. They both failed. Many people do not recognize the black community is extremely socially conservative. The President’s reversal of position on gay marriage will be a topic in black churches on Sundays for months to come. This issue could be significant in turning many African-American voters away from President Obama.

What the President should be addressing, not just to the black community, but to all Americans, is the crisis of unemployment, which is actually 14.5 percent when you take into account the unemployed, underemployed, those who are distressed and disenfranchised, and therefore are not counted. Unemployment in the black community is also unacceptable at 13 percent overall and more than 20 percent for black adult males. Source

I would also add, that I am very surprised that the Congressional Black Caucus has been largely quiet on President Obama’s endorsement. The only members we have heard from thus far are James Clyburn (D-SC) and John Lewis (D-GA). Clyburn is calling for the federal government to get involved in making gay marriage the law of the land and not a state issue. We know why these two men have Obama’s back — they owe him. The same holds true for Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson (who is trying to get back in Obama’s good graces after being caught on an open mic saying he would like to cut his “nuts off”). Allen West is playing politics as well. How come he hasn’t put forth any proposals to help the black community?